Photo by H. Pittier 

 SAN BIvAS WOMEN AND CHILDREN, PANAMA: EVEN THE SMALL BABY GIRL HAS HER 



NOSE-RING DECORATION (SEE PAGE 657) 



and also by the tradition of a long series 

 of wrongs at the hands of the hated 

 Spaniards. 



So they feel that isolation is their best 

 policy, and it would not be safe for 

 anybody to penetrate into their forests 

 without a strong escort and continual 

 watchfulness. IMany instances of mur- 

 ders, some confirmed and others only 

 suspected, are on record, and even the 



natives of the San Bias coast are not a 

 little afraid of their brothers of the 

 mountains. 



Of late, however, conditions seem to 

 have bettered, owing to a more frequent 

 intercourse with the surrounding settle- 

 ments, A negro of La Palma, at the 

 mouth of the Tuyra River, told me of 

 his crossing, some time ago, from the 

 latter place to Chepo, through the Chu- 



648 



